How to get a Spotify podcast transcript

Spotify shows an in-app transcript only for some episodes, you can't copy or download it as a listener, and to get a text file you transcribe the episode from the show's public feed.

Updated

Get a downloadable Spotify transcript

Podskrift pastes an open.spotify.com link and returns .txt / .srt when the show has a public RSS feed. New accounts get free trial minutes — no card needed to start.

This guide describes Spotify’s listener transcript as Spotify documents it in Spotify for Creators Help and the 28 September 2023 newsroom post. Menu labels move between app versions. Podskrift does not use or re-host Spotify’s in-app text — it transcribes public audio.

Where is the transcript on iPhone/Android?

  1. Play the episode

    Open the episode in the Spotify mobile app and start playback. Spotify says listeners see transcripts in the Now Playing View and on episode pages in the mobile app.

  2. Open full-screen Now Playing

    Tap the mini player at the bottom so the episode fills the screen.

  3. Scroll to Read Along

    Scroll down the Now Playing View to find the transcript, then tap the card to follow along full screen while the audio plays (Spotify’s newsroom calls this Read Along). On some app versions the card replaces the cover art; on others it sits under About this episode.

On desktop and the web player?

  1. Play the episode in the Spotify desktop app or at open.spotify.com.
  2. Open the Now Playing panel on the right (the control near the bottom-right of the player).
  3. Scroll that panel. Where a transcript exists, Read Along / Episode transcript appears there.

Spotify’s published help focuses on the mobile Now Playing View. Some auto-generated transcripts are available on mobile only. If you see one on your phone and nothing on desktop, that can be expected.

Why is there no transcript?

  • Eligibility — Spotify generates transcripts only for select shows, not the whole catalogue (the 2023 newsroom post described a rollout to millions of episodes, not every show).
  • Creator turned it off — in Spotify for Creators, publishers can disable transcripts per episode or for the whole show.
  • Desktop limits — not every transcript that appears on mobile is shown on desktop or the web player.
  • App version — older clients may hide the control; update Spotify and try again before concluding there is none.

Can you copy or download it?

Spotify’s Read Along text is for following along in the app. Listeners cannot select the full transcript, download .txt or .srt, or export it into another tool. Spotify’s download and upload tools are for creators in Spotify for Creators (VTT/SRT for their own eligible episodes), not for listeners.

Creators with access to Spotify for Creators can view, download or upload transcripts for their own eligible episodes — that path is for show owners, not listeners. See Managing episode transcripts on Spotify.

How to download a Spotify podcast transcript as a text file

  1. Copy the episode link from Spotify (Share → Copy link). It should start with open.spotify.com/episode/. A show link works too.
  2. Paste it into Podskrift’s Spotify transcript page.
  3. Confirm the matched episode from the show’s public RSS feed, then start transcription.
  4. When it finishes, copy the text or download .txt and .srt.

Limits: only episodes that also appear in a public feed. Spotify exclusives, Originals and subscriber-only episodes without a public RSS feed have no audio Podskrift can fetch — see Spotify episode without RSS. This still works when Spotify shows no Read Along, as long as a public feed exists — Spotify transcript not available.

Check the show’s RSS feed for a ready-made transcript

Some podcast hosts publish a ready-made transcript in the show’s public RSS feed using the Podcasting 2.0 podcast:transcript tag. That tag links to a transcript or captions file (often VTT or SRT; plain text and other types are allowed too). Multiple tags can appear for multiple formats. See the Podcasting 2.0 docs and the podcast:transcript tag.

Spotify for Creators can also distribute creator transcripts across other platforms via RSS when the creator turns that setting on. If the host already publishes a file, download that before re-transcribing. Need the feed URL? See how to find an RSS feed.

Ways to get a Spotify transcript

Way Who can use it Copy? Download? Works when Spotify shows none?
Spotify Read Along Listeners, when Spotify has generated one No full-episode copy No listener export No — nothing to open in the app
Spotify for Creators Show owners of eligible episodes Creators can work with their files Yes — VTT/SRT for their own shows Only if that creator enables or uploads one
Show’s RSS podcast:transcript Anyone who can fetch the public feed Yes, from the linked file Yes — host-published VTT/SRT/text Yes, when the host published a file
Paste link into Podskrift Anyone with a public-feed episode Yes — from the result page Yes — .txt and .srt Yes, if a public RSS/audio feed exists

Related options

FAQ

Where is the Spotify podcast transcript on mobile?

Play the episode, open the full-screen Now Playing view, and scroll down. On some app versions the transcript (sometimes labelled Read Along) replaces the cover art; on others it sits under About this episode. It only appears once the episode is playing or loaded in Now Playing.

Where is it on desktop or the web player?

Play the episode, then open the Now Playing panel on the right. Scroll that panel to find Read Along or the transcript. The web player at open.spotify.com uses the same layout. Some auto-generated transcripts are mobile-only.

Why is there no transcript for my episode?

Coverage is partial. Spotify generates transcripts only for eligible shows and languages; creators can turn them off for an episode or the whole show; and desktop may not show every transcript that appears on mobile. If nothing appears after you scroll Now Playing, that episode likely has no Spotify transcript.

Can I copy or download Spotify’s in-app transcript?

No. Listeners cannot export the full text as a file. Spotify may let you share a short quote from Read Along, but there is no .txt or .srt download for listeners.

How do I download a Spotify podcast transcript as a text file?

Paste the open.spotify.com episode or show link into Podskrift. When the show also publishes a public RSS feed, Podskrift transcribes the audio and you can download .txt and .srt. Spotify exclusives and subscriber-only episodes without a public feed cannot be transcribed this way. Show owners can download their own eligible transcripts in Spotify for Creators.

Does the RSS feed sometimes include a transcript?

Yes. Some hosts publish a Podcasting 2.0 podcast:transcript tag that points at a VTT, SRT or plain-text file for that episode. Check the show’s public RSS (or ask the host) before re-transcribing. Spotify for Creators can also distribute creator transcripts via RSS when the creator enables that setting.

What are the alternatives?

If the show publishes a public RSS or Apple Podcasts feed, paste the Spotify (or Apple) link into Podskrift to get a copyable transcript as .txt and .srt — including when Spotify shows none. Spotify for Creators can download or upload transcripts for eligible creators of their own shows. Exclusives and subscriber-only episodes without a public feed cannot be transcribed by Podskrift.

Is Podskrift free?

New accounts get free trial minutes when a trial is offered — no card needed to start. We do not list a fixed free-minute count here because the grant can vary. Longer episodes show the exact price before you pay.

Open the Spotify transcript page